England did not become the No 1 Test team without being able to overcome the odd wobble or two, something they duly managed against the West Indies at Lord’s on Monday mainly thanks to Alastair Cook’s nerveless 79 and an unbeaten 63 from Ian Bell.

The victory, by five wickets, keeps England on course to maintain their pre-eminent position for the Test series against South Africa in July, the series that poses the most serious challenge to their status. It also takes Andrew Strauss into the lead for home victories by England captains, beating the 17 held by Michael Vaughan. In addition, Strauss has now played in nine winning Tests at Lord’s, another record the England captain clinched here.

Strauss’s opening partner, though, who calmed any jitters on Monday with an innings that will have been as comforting to England supporters as apple crumble. The iron will in Cook, which has come to define his batting, was identified at an early age. Keith Fletcher, the former Essex captain and coach, reckons he had never seen a more single-minded teenager, Cook’s big brown eyes distracting opponents from the ruthless competitor within.

It is arguably the most precious quality at the highest level and one that has not failed him often, although Abu Dhabi, where he and his team-mates were all found wanting in the failed run chase against Pakistan, where they needed 145, is a recent exception. Another of Cook’s strengths is to heed the lessons of failure. On Monday there was none of the dithering that typified his and his team-mates’ efforts in that match against Pakistan.

Not that the West Indies bowling attack offered a similar challenge to that one. On Monday, at Lord’s, it was all about courage, not confusion, the aggressive pace of Kemar Roach posing a very different problem, physically and mentally, to the mystery spin of Saeed Ajmal. That changed once the ball softened and Roach tired, the West Indies back-up bowling not possessing the same potency despite Shannon Gabriel dismissing Kevin Pietersen in his first over.

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With England starting the final day two down and needing another 181 runs for victory, Roach tore in, the extra effort and adrenalin causing him to bowl no-balls often in the early exchanges. But while Cook blunted him with a broad blade, he managed to discomfit Jonathan Trott. An edge, that fell just short of second slip and went for four, was followed by another next ball that did not, Darren Sammy snaffling the chance.

With the atmosphere already tense, despite a modest crowd of 7,000, Pietersen tried to quicken pulses further with some aggressive strokeplay. A risky two was followed soon after by a crunching pull for four off Gabriel when the bowler tested Pietersen with a blast of chin music. When he attempted the same shot next ball, it was too close to his body and the keeper caught a bottom edge.

Bell arrived at the crease to more than his fair share of verbal jousting. The great West Indies sides never said anything on the field except to appeal, so this tactic was curious. If it was meant to distract or intimidate Bell, it did not work and he quickly fell in with the task required.

With England 65 for four and Bell fresh in, Sammy handed England the opportunity to seize the initiative by resting Roach. The fast bowler had been charging in for an hour, but he had had only three balls to Bell when Roach was taken off. By the time he returned after lunch, Bell was well established on 35, his 132-run partnership with Cook, which ended when Cook cut Sammy to gully with only two runs needed, deciding the match.

Bell, who began his recovery from a poor winter with 61 in the first innings, went even better here. There were a couple of close shaves from inside edges, but in his less obvious way he was as solid as Cook, striking the winning runs when he on-drove Marlon Samuels for four. With him and Strauss back in the runs, there are no obvious weak links for opposition bowlers to exploit, which makes any tweaks a bowling issue, with the focus falling on Tim Bresnan.

Sammy’s use of Samuel’s off-spin, a one-day tool at best, was strange given that Samuel ended up bowling more overs than anyone bar Roach. The only explanation was that his frontline pace bowlers were indisposed.

Fidel Edwards, who managed two short spells in the morning, has a dodgy back that the West Indies’ management are constantly saying has to be managed, while Gabriel received on-field treatment from the physio at the end of his opening over. Afterwards, Sammy admitted that Gabriel and Roach had suffered niggles but that Edwards was fine.

One-nil down with two to play leaves the visitors facing an enormous challenge, though after a slovenly start here they competed well in the second part of the match.

Not many gave them the slightest chance of making a game of it at Lord’s. Yet, to take it to the last afternoon showed they at least have the potential to push England, if not the depth to beat them.